Car-coupling.



No. 677,435. Patented July 2, l90l.

H. C. BUHUUP.

GAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Nov. 3, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

' Patented July 2, I or.

H C BUHOUP GAR COUPLING;

. [App' tion 1dNov.3,1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

4/ (2,4. howl Mrs STATES ATENT FFICE.

HARRY O. BUHOUP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOOONWAY ANDTORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,435, dated July 2,1901.

Application filed November 3, 1900. Serial No. 35,400. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY C. BUHOUP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a coupler embodying myinvention, taken on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, looking inthe direction of thearrow and showing the parts in the locked position in full line and inthe unlocked position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view ofthe coupler embodying my invention, the dotted lines indicating thecavity of the coupler-head and the position occupied by the containedparts when in the locked position. Fig. 8 is a vertical transversesection similar to Fig. 1, the full lines indicating the position of theparts when fully set for uncoupling and the dotted lines indicating theposition of the pivoted lever when further operated to throw open theknuckle. In this figure the tailpiece of the knuckle shown in positionin Fig. 1 has been omitted for sake of clearness. Fig. 4 is a partiallongitudinal vertical section of the coupler, taken on the line 4 4,Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow, showing the relation ofthe tailpiece of the knuckle to the pin and pin-lever when the coupleris locked, portions of the knuckle being broken off.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of that class of couplers knownas the vertical or Janney type of coupler, and more especially to thosewherein a locking-pin or vertically-moving lock is employed, and has forits object the production of a simple and efficient lock-set andknuckle-opener. Heretofore in this class of lock sets andknuckle-openers wherever a pivoted lever or latch has been combined withthe locking-pin for the purpose of setting the lock or throwing out theknuckle the lever or latch has been operated from or by the locking-pin,and when set the latch or lever has rested upon the tailpiece of theknuckle, and thus supported the locking-pin in the set position, as aconsequence of which any movement or even a limited vibration of theknuckle arising from the jarring or moving of the car served to drop thepin and lock the coupler.

To overcome the objections to the present form of lock-sets forcouplers, I combine with the locking-pin a pin-lever pivoted thereon, bymeans of which lever the locking-pin may be raised, said lever having afulcrum, a support upon the couplerhead, whereby the locking-pin is heldin a set position independent of the knuckle, and such a combinationembodies one feature of my invention. Preferably the fulcrum of thepin-lever within the coupler-head is in part an incline on which thesupported end of the lever may travel back and forth to allow of alimited vibration of the tailpiece of the knuckle without dropping thelocking-pin, the locking-pin returning to its set positionautomatically, and such an incline and seat within the coupler-head incombination with the locking-pin and pinlever embodies a further featureof my invention.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinaftermore fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that othersskilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the couplerhead, provided with theguard-arm a, cars a, on which the knuckle B is pivoted, and alocking-pin O, which latter for the purposes of illustration has beenshown as the usual type of J anney locking-pin having the transverseincline c, with which the tailpiece b engages to lift the pin on theinward movement of the knuckle. Any other suitable locking-pin may,however, be employed, if desired, and the coupler may in generalcorrespond to any of the several well-known forms of vertical coupler.

Mounted on the locking-pin O and extending transversely thereof, so asto be capable of movement across the path of the tailpiece b of knuckleB and across the face ofthe locking-pin, is a lever 1, (preferablypivoted,)

' with the tailpiece of the knuckle.

which I term the pin-lever, because its function is to lift or actuateand thereafter support the pin 'in the set position. This lever 1 ispreferably of a curved or bent form, its short arm 1 projecting from thecoupler-head and connected by a chain or in other suitable manner to theusual or any approved operating mechanism. For safety sake thelocking-pin C may also be connected with the operating devices by achain or link connection; but the same will be of a character or lengththat will permit the pin to be first lifted through the medium of thepin lever l and not directly by its chain or similar connection.

The long arm 1 of the pin-lever 1, which projects within the head A, mayrest upon a shoulder or seat 2 within and on one side of the head A whenthe locking-pin O is down and upon a lower seat 3 when the lockingpin 0is raised and set or in a fixed position to allow the tailpiece of theknuckle to move out. The two seats 2 and 3 are connected by an inclineat, over which the end of the leverarni 1 travels in setting the lockfor uncoupling (see dotted line, Fig. 1) and up and down which it maytravel when from any cause the knuckle and its tailpiece 1) vibrate, theleverarm 1 automatically descending to the seat 3 to maintain the set ofthe lock for uncoupling unless the tailpiece is forced back completelyor to its inward limit, as in the act of coupling. It will be noted thatthe upper seat 2, as well as the incline 4, serves as a fulcrum for thepin-lever 1 in lifting the pin; but it will also be evident that whilethe seat 2 is desirable it is not indispensable and may be omitted ormerged in the incline 4, the seat 3 serving to support the pin-lever,and through it the locking-pin, independent of or out'of contact Thecontinued or further movement of the long arm 1 of pin-lever 1 after ithas reached the set position on seat 3 (see Fig. 3) will throw open theknuckle B, the tailpiece b of which stands over the lower seat 3 (seeFig. 1) when the coupler is locked or set for unlocking.

The construction of the devices being substantially such as hereinbeforeset forth will operate as follows: The operative parts being in thelocked position shown in Figs. 1 and 2that is to say, the locking-pin Gdown, the tailpiece b of the knuckle back thereof, and the long arm 1 ofpin-lever 1 at its lower end raised or resting on the seat 2 (or on theincline) within the head Ain order to release the knuckle and set thelock for either uncoupling'or coupling up the outer or short arm 1 islifted, and resting by its long arm on the seat 2 causes the locking-pinC to rise vertically until the inclined shoulders thereof is above thetail-piece b, the long or inner arm of the lever meanwhile moving downthe in-' cline (see dotted lines, Fig. 1, and full lines, Fig. 2) untilit rests on the seat 3, and thus supports the looking-pin C in theelevated, raised,

or set position independently of the knuckle. In this position thetailpiece b is free to escape past the locking-pin O and allow theknuckle to pull open, or it may ride back sufficiently far to carry thelong arm 1 of the pin-lever back until the locking-pin B falls in frontof the tailpiece b and locks the coupler. To ac 'complish the relockingof the coupler, however, the tailpiece will have to move completely backto the extreme of its inner travel and lift the inner or long arm 1 ofthe lever substantially to the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1. Thelong arm 1 may travel up the incline to any extent less than itscomplete travel, as indicated by the dotted I lines, Fig. 1, withoutcausing the locking-pin C to drop sufficiently to effect a locking ofthe tailpiece b and will of itself again descend automatically tosubstantially the position shown in full lines, Fig. 3, and thusmaintain the set of the lock under all usual vibration or movement ofthe knuckle incident to service, except a positive and complete inwardcoupling travel of the tailpiece Z1, as in coupling. WVhen the long arm1 of the pin-lever 1 has assumed the position indicated in full lines,Fig. 3, and the lock is set for uncoupling, if desired its movement -maybe continued to the position indicated by the dotted lines of saidfigure and will then so act upon the tailpiece b as to throw open theknuckle and efiect a positive uncoupling of the couplers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling of the vertical or Janney type having a knuckle anda locking-pin,

the combination with the locking-pin, of a pin-lever for lifting andsetting the lockingpin, said lever having a fulcrum within thecoupler-head and also a seat within the coupler-head, whereby thelocking-pin is set and supported independently of the knuckle,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a car-coupling having a knuckle and a locking-pin, the combinationwith the locking-pin, of a pin-lever for actuating and setting saidlocking-pin, and an incline within the coupling-head upon which thepin-lever travels, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a car-coupling of the vertical or Janney type, having avertically-moving lock, the combination with said lock, of a lever forlifting and setting said lock, and an inclined fulcrum for the end ofthe lever within the head, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

4. In a car-coupling of the vertical or Jan ney type, the combinationwith a lockingpin, of a pin-lever pivoted thereon for actuating thelocking-pin, an incline within the coupler-head for the travel of thearm of the lever within the coupler-head, and a seat within thecoupler-head for supporting the lever and locking-pin in a set positioninde seats, substantially as and for the purposes to specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses,this 31st day of October, 1900.

HARRY O. BUHOUP. lVit-nesses:

DANIEL B. MASON, J AMES W. DUNAVAN.

